The following relates generally to memory systems and more specifically to sense amplifier schemes for accessing memory cells.
Memory devices are widely used to store information in various electronic devices such as computers, wireless communication devices, cameras, digital displays, and the like. Information is stored by programming different states of a memory device. For example, binary memory devices have two logic states, often denoted by a logic “1” or a logic “0”. In other memory devices, more than two logic states may be stored. To access the stored information, a component of the electronic device may read, or sense, the stored logic state in the memory device. To store information, a component of the electronic device may write, or program, the logic state in the memory device.
Various types of memory devices exist, including those that employ magnetic hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), flash memory, phase change memory (PCM), and others. Memory devices may be volatile or non-volatile. Non-volatile memory, such as PCM and FeRAM, may maintain stored logic states for extended periods of time even in the absence of an external power source. Volatile memory devices, such as DRAM, may lose stored logic states over time unless they are periodically refreshed by a power source. In some cases non-volatile memory may use similar device architectures as volatile memory but may have non-volatile properties by employing such physical phenomena as ferroelectric capacitance or different material phases.
Improving memory devices, may include increasing memory cell density, increasing read/write speeds, increasing reliability, increasing data retention, reducing power consumption, or reducing manufacturing costs, among other metrics. In some cases, operation of a memory device may require a relatively high voltage for access operations, (e.g., read, write, re-write, or refresh operations) but a sense amplifier supporting the relatively high voltage may be associated with relatively poor manufacturing or operational tolerances (e.g., high variability) or relatively high power consumption.